Dttbant vcontbol cobpobatxon



A. K. SCHAAP, JR

LIQUID LEVEL GAUGE Apfil' 123927. Re.16,589

Original Filed Mayf. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ml' "Il 'l Humlimiwmlmil1imi Amm? 'Original Filed May 4. 19.23

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 55m/vof@ KSlcffM/lz JR. Y l WA fr( f ATTORNEY u, r. l u ....@Mmxmwm Reuma Apr. 12., 1927.

UNITED `STATES .PATENT cri-ica .ALEXANDEBK. SCHAA?, JB., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR ,TO THE SCHAAIP- DURANTQONTROL CORPORATfION, OF NEW YORK, N. YV., A CORPORATION 0F NEW i vom;

LIiUIn-Liazvnr. GAUGE.

original No. 1,516,629, dateafirbvember 25, 1924, seriai" No.. saessa'aied nay 4,1923. applicati@ forA kein-.ue med aprii s, 1s25. serial vNo. 21,991.

Y This invention relates to indicators,A and more particularly to lan indicating. device operating upon the h drostaticprinciple for indicating the liqui content in aV tank or other receptacle. In the present instance the device is adapted to in icute the quantity of gasoline in the fuel supply tank of an f automobile where the vacuum feed principlc is employedfto withdraw the liquid fuel from the suppl tank.

- One of the o jects of the invention is to provide in an indicator of the above characte\new and improved means for rectifying and"`noriecting the gauge.

' iinothfer,object is to provide a denice of "the abOVeharacter, wherein th@ indicating medium in the gauge head will notsurge or-fiuctuate under any conditions of seral times give an accurate indication.

Another object of the invention is to p rovide a device of the above character, which will not become clogged by foreign 'substances in the liquid fuel, and which will not freezeup in the event that water rests in the bottom of the tank. Q

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those? referred to above, will be in 1L rt obvious land in p art pointedout in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and

. the scope of. protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated preferred-forms of em- .fdetail of construction.

y l Figure 4 is a viewv similar to Figure 2, showing another embodiment of my inveiftion; and

Figure 5 is a similar view, showing still another embodiment of my invention.

. vcefbut will remain steady/,fand thereby atV Referrin now to the drawings, wherein similar re erence characters refer to simi- Vand C' the gauge. In practice in a gasoline supply system of the vacuum type, the gasoline supply tank A is usually .located under the b'ody of the car behind the rear axle; the vacuum tank B at, a point under the hood of the automobile above the carburetor, andthe gauge C is preferably located on the dash' in a position to be observed'by the driver of the vehicle.

The function of the vacuum tank B is to draw gasoline through the conduit l from the gasoline supply tank, mechanism rnot shown being employed -in the vacuum tank, to trip or operate k.the valve mechanism when a sufficient quantity of gasoline has :been

drawn into the vacuum tank, such operation permitting the gasoline remaining in the conduit l to return by gravity into the gasa-W line supply tank.'

In the present instance the conduit- 1 leads from an elbow 2, having a connection with ,cated upon the 'dash' of the car'. The 'gauge 'present inventiont lwhich I Fwall 7 of the gauge.

the top of the gasoline supply tank A, being connected with said elbow as by means of the coupler member 3. Similarly c011- nected with the top of the gasoline tank is a conduit 4, which leads to the gauge C', which as abovey described, is preferably lo C is provided with a Ueshaped tube 5, which contains a quantity of liquid 6, thev latter constituting. the indicating medium, through its co-operation with a suitable scale, not shown,` provided in the front transparent The top of the vgasoline tank is Iprovided-.- with the usual aperture 8, through which the gasoline is introduced into the tank, and which is closed by the cap 9 havingnthe usual vent 10, through which air is admitted to the Asupply tank as the gasoline is dra an' therefrom through the conduit 1.

The structure thus far described is old in the art, and constitutes no part ofv my ceed to describe. l

Extending downwardly the tank from shall now prom0 the elbow 2, is 'a conduit 11, 'the lower end 'of which is located as near the bottom Wall of the tank as is practicable, said lower end being provided'in the present instance with a lateral extension 12 having the closed end 13. The conduit 11 is preferably made in vtwo parts,- indicated at 14 and 15, se cons'tructed as to` lie in telescoping relation, ds at 16, a clamp nut 17 being employed to l.hold `the telescoping .parts when once ad- `juated in fixed relation. The object of arranging the parts of this conduit in telescoping relation is to provide means Wheren lby" the device may be adapted in tanks of va'ng depths. .1

. e ower end 12 of the conduit 11 is pro.

'.fvided with an'ugwardly directed 'aperture -1- 8,'underneath w ends of both conduits.

ich is provided a vregistering-aperture 19. The conduit 11, of course, isin direct connection 'with the conduitl 1 throughthe elbow 2.

Extending downwardly into me fiasoline.

jsupply thnk is4 a second conduit .20,lilew1se 'formed of l the telescoping sections 2 vand 22,' thelower end 23 of the conduit 20 being' .located diectlyabove the aperture 18 iii-the conduit. llyand slightly spaced therefrom,

uas clearly shown in the drawin The lower ends 4of the conduits 11 and'20 are preferably held in xed relation with each other, as by means of the spacing ineinber or Vbrecfliet 24, which embraces the lower Located 1n the conduit 11, near the upper yto 1 end thereof; within the gasoline supply tank, is a vent 215,' which' vent within the conduit 11, is preferably provided with a downward-- extended opennended nipple 26: The con uit 20, near its u per end, as shown in.-

Figures 1, 2 and 5, is preferably pinchedin o posite directions, as indicated ,at 2'?, the jecto'f which construction is to prevent .particles of gasoline vfrom being carrie-d by air bubbles u wardly into the conduit l, and through sai conduit' into the indicator gauge C f f In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure 4, the construction is similar to vthat already described in connection 'With- Figures 1 and 2,'except that the lower end 28 of the conduit 20,'is enlarged, or given an inverted bell-shaped construction, Lor a purpose which will be later described.

In this embodiment of my invention for the pinchedin construction of this conduit,

` illustrated iii Figures 1 vand 2,' abalbahan 29 is suspended in saidl'conduit, sufficient space being provided between the balls into the conduit. 4.

'forming apart ofthe chain to permit air to' pass upwardly through the conduit 20* The lower bell-shaped end 28 is `located directly above the apertiiie 18 of the conduit 11,- as in the first def' scribed embodiment of in' invention.

" In the embodimentmoft e invention shown'.

ceo

in Figure\5, the conduits 11 and. 2pruferably lie inlengagement, as shown, the lower ends of said conduits being cuiJ o staan angle, as indicated at 30 and 31;, the lowerend of the conduit 20 being disposed above the lower end of theconduit 11, so that'air passing downwardly through the-conduit 11, and being discharged through its lower Aand, Wiii nd its Way intb the loweropen end of the conduit 20. i

n the cinbodin/lentsI vof 4niy invention shown in Figures 4 and 5,'the vent 25 opens directly into the conduits 11, the nipple l26 employed in the first described embodiment being omitted.

Having thusdescribed `my invention, the` operation thereof, may now be understood.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing, and assuming that a `quantity of liquid has been provided in the indicator gauge C, it will be observed that a. hydrostatic balance established between the body'. of'the liquid fuel'in. the supply tank A and the 'column I.

ci liquid in the U-sliaped tube of the gauge C; the pressure of the liquid -fuel exerted upon the air imprisoned in thejconduits 2() Yand 4 maintaining the said hydrostatic bal# ance, whereby the `level of the indicating medium in the U-shaped tube,` in conjunction with the scale, Willfindicate the'quan tity of liquid fuel in they supply tank.v It

will be understood, of course that the ielativitiss-of the'indicator medium, the scale calibration of the Wange, and the capacity' of 'the gasoline tani, have previousl been determined, whereby the gauge will vide an accurate indication for a given sized su' ply tank. r

n the embodiment'o my invention shown inv Figs. 1 and 2, during the operation of the vacuum tank, liquid fuel will be'drawu through the conduits 11 and 1 into the vacuuiny tank.v When a suilicient quantity of liquid fuel hasbeen drawn into the vacuum tank the usual float therein operates to trip, thereby releasing the suction uponconduit 11, and .the fuel lcontained in'said conduit is permitted to iiowback into the 'supply tank. This recessionaliiowfof liquid' fuel will draw a quanti; ofi air from. Within the gasoline su ply ta -through the vent 25, such air'` ,eing vcarried downwardly through the conduit 11, and being disnute bubbles through the aperture 18. These bubbles of air will thereupon rise and enter` the lower end of the'con uit 20. o,

,charged from the Alower end thereofv in nii Thus the tendency of the 'gauge to-fliicmy taste, diie to the varying temperatures in 'the system is overcome, inasmuch asgmore lthan a suiiicient quantity. of lair to niake the correction or rectification, is discharged against the open end- 23 of the' cohduiti at each recessional ilow ofthe liduid fuel through the.s uction system.

Vvent 25 and the nipple 26, Figure 1, shall belsuch' that no air will be drawn into the 'liquid fuel -feed conduit during the suction operation of the vacuum tank. When, however, liquid` fuel flows back by gravity through the feed conduit, air will be drawn into said feed conduit 1l through thenipple 26 and the vent 25, such air being coinmingled or entr-aimed with the liquid fuel returning to the supply tank.Y This en# trained air will be dischargedI into the body of liquid fuel in the supply tank and by reason of its buoyancy rise and enter .the

"lower open end of the conduit 20, Aas has already been described. l

In the. 'embodiment' of my shaped end of ,the conduit 2() is toprovidc for a greater quantity of air being received into s aid'conduit. In this structure where there is no downturn'ed. nipple, the air will naturally be drawn in through the port 25 on the suction as well as on the return ow, the velocity of the flow in each instance creating at the mouth of the port 2 5, salti-- cient partial vacuum to induce` a small quantity of air.

589` asmuch as they serve to prevent a rvsudden rush or surge of the liquid fuelgipwardiy through the conduit 20 in the eveii'ithat a leak should occur between the upper; end of conduit 20 and the connection to the iiidicati'ng instrument C. 'f 'fil Should the air tight lconnections of the conduit 4 be suddenly broken, for example, were it not for the inserted baffles which I use, the liquid fuel might surge to a heightconsiderably greater than the actual level of the fuel contents of the tank, and if the tank A wei'e very nearly filled to capacity, the liquid fuel might surge through the fitting 2 into the conduit 4, and form a re- 50 "Buracy of the gauge.

Also, these inserted battles serve to facili- ."ttc thecjection of gasoline from conduit 2O when installations aie i'nad'e upon cars in which the tank is partly filled with fuel, at the time of such installation.

"hile I have shown and described my involition applied to 'a gasoline supply and feeding system for a motor vehicle, yit is ob vious, of course, that it may be readily adapted for other analogous purposes. As many changes could be made-in this The provision of the aperture 19, iinine---Rconstructioiijwithout departing from the diately beneath'the air discharge aperture 18 of the conduit 1l, permits the liquid fuel toiow back freely into the supply tank, whereby the. liberated air bubbles will immediately rise through said aperture 18,

.whereupon they will come in contact -with the ,lower open end of the conduit 2U.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure 5, it .will' lie noted that- I the air bubbles ent-rained in the liquid t'ucl beingdischarged through the end 30 of the conduit l1, willrise and tend to enter the end 3i of the conduitQO.

It will accordingly b-c seenhthat I have provided a construction well adapted to at;

tain, among others, all the aims and objects above pointed out, in a very simple, yet

ellicient manner.

It will be further noted that the fluctuatv ing or surging ofV the `indicator medium present inA gauges as hitherto constructed and due to the action produced upon the body of the li uid fuel by the suction of the vacuum tarili are eliminated due to the fact that in `the present instance the opening 19 is provided at the'lowerniost portieri of the suction conduit l1, the said 'opening 19 being oi' suflicient diameter to' satisfy the suction of thc vacuum tank exerted through `the conduit `1l without causing said suction to vary the pressure inthe conduit `20.

I consider the provisilin' ot the baile construction, such foruinsta ce as provided for by thexpinchedV-'lin construction of the conduit 21, or the inserted baliles 29, illustrated vin Figure 4,. to be extremely important, in point near the bottom of the supply tank to '13' scope of theifol'lowing claims, it is intended 95 that all matter contained in the above descr'iptiono/if' shown in the accompanyingdia-u'fings/liall be interpreted as illustrative ,onlyand ,not in a limiting sense. 'Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l'. In a device of the class described, in combination, a liquid supply tank, an intermittently operating suction system incliulin'g` iusuction device and a conduit 'extending from a position near the bottom of the supply tank tothe suction device, a gauge system includingl a device for indicating the level of the liquid in the supply-Y tank, and a conduit which extends from a point near the bottom of the ysupply tank to the gauge, said first and-second conduits having their lower ends so' arranged that the lower open end of the first named conduit is below the lower opcnend of said second named conduit, and means for entraining air in the liquid in said first named conduit during the suction How and the return How of the liquid,

2. In a ydevice of the class described, in'f combination, a liquid supply tank, an interiiiittently operating suction system incl'udim a suction device and a conduit extending from a' position near the bottoni of the supply tank to the suction device, va. gauge system .including a device for indieating the level of the liquid in the supply tank and a.conduit which extends from a.

striction that would interfere with the ac\\ invention, a shown in Figure 4, the purpose ofthe belliio the) gauge said first and second conduits havin th irlower open ends so arranged that t c lower open end of the firstnanied conduit is below the lower-open end of said second named conduit, and-means for admitting air into said Erst named :onduit when the liquid is falling by gravityw into the supply tank, said air being discharged with the liquid througlinthe lower open end of said conduit, to be rreceived in' the cor-` (responding end ot' saidsecond named con` uit. t, i I

3. a device of the class described, fthe combination with a liquid supply tank, an intermittently operating vacuum tankY ana gauge, of a/c'onduit extending iron! thev vacuum tank through the top wall of the supply tank to a position adjacent the bottom wall thereof, said conduit having an upwardly directed air exit aperture at its lower end, a conduit leading from the gauge through the top )wall of the supply tank to.

i a position adjacent the .bottom wall thereof and having an air ent'rance aperture disposedvertically above the air exit aperture of said tiret named conduit and in spaced relation therewith, and means for admitting i' airiinto' lsaid first named conduit-when the 'liquid descends therethrough by gravity and discharges into the supplytank. -j y.

4. In a device'ot he class described, the combination with-a liquid' supply tank, an intermittenti-y operating vacuumv tankand a hydrostatic gauge, of a conduit extending from the vacuum tank downwardly intothe supplyv tank and terminating vin a 'lateral end in spaced relation therewith and said Vfirst 'named 'conduit having an aperture commun-1- cating with the air space of the liquid sup plv tank near the top wall thereof. v

b In a device of the class described, in

combination, a liquid supply tank, a suction ,system having an intermittently operating suction device and a gauge system having' a gauge operable by air ressure, the suction system including a condiiit extending from the suction device through the uppenwallof the'supply tank to a position adjacent the bottom wall thereof, the gauge system including a conduit extending through the upper Wall of the supply tank to a position adjacent the bottom Wall thereof, said first and second named conduits being provided with air exit and air entrance aperturesati their'l'lower vends, the air cXit aperture ot said first named conduit being located below the air entrance aperture of* the -sccenidm named conduit, means for entraining air the liquid in said irstenamed conduit dur ing the suction :dow and during the return ilcw of the liquid through said iirst conduit 6. In a device ci the class described, in combination, a liquid-supply tank, a suction system having Aan intermittently operating suction device and a gauge system having' a ygauge operable by air pressure, the suction 5 system including a conduit extending fiona the 'section device tiroug'h the upper-'wail of the-supply teni: to a position adi t the bottoni wall thereoi' the gauge .n including a 'conduit extending through the upper wall oi' the supplv tanleto apositic adjacent the bot-tcm Weill thereof, said and second-named conduits being provided respectively `with air exit and air ont apertures at;l their lower end, the air it aperture of said first namedconduit being located below the air entranez: aperture oi the .second-named conduit, ineens i training air in the iiquid in said tirst conduit during the suction iioiv ci the lit' and its return `tion through. said iiret t" conduit and'said secondnatned conf 'ing means for breaking up airbuhb inor upwardly therethrough. i. In a device of Vthe class d liquid supply tank, a liquid 'carry duit extending into said tank to adjacent bottom thereof and having means ti `fn above the level of liquid in said tank Whereby air is aspirated in to theconduit by the `flow of liquid tlircuch the conduitv and then entrained `in Suclrflsowing liquid, said con" duit having its lowerend open directly into the body of liquid inthe tank and providing a passage for unrestricted flow 'of liquid' andthe entrained air into the liquid in the tank, a gauge conduit also open at its iower end to the bodylot` 4 liquid in the'tanlr and having such opening above the'entrained air' escape passage of the liquid conduit to re# `ceive entrained air escaping from the :liquid conduit and a pressiire -gauge connected with 'said pressure conduit. 'i y. 8. Ina device'of the class described., a liep `uid supply tank, af liquid conduit extending into'said tank to a point adjacent the bottom of the same and having an'air port in one u side thereof above the level of liquid in the tank for automatically entraining ait therein f by the flow of liquid through the Iconduit, J2?! 'means for intermittently withdrawing liq'. uid through said conduit and for permitting the return of a portion of the withdrawn liquid back into the tank, whereby in such return flowi, air entrained in the liquid con. duit will be released from the lowerend of the liquid i'sonduit into the tank, a gauge conduit entered in the tank and having "an air inlet disposed above the untrained ait'V escape passage of the liquid conduit' to re- 0 lll() its conduit..

i and having -means whereby into-the conduit by the fiow of liquid through the conduit .and then entrained 1n such flowing liquid, said conduity being provided at 9. In a deviceofthe class described, the combination of a liquid contain-ing tank, a liquid lcarrying conduit entered in said tank, extending .'to adjacentJ the bottom thereof air is aspirated its lower end with an iesca'pe passage for liquid and entrained air, a pressure actuated gauge and a pressure conduit extending -at its lower end with an open mouthed air rerom said gauge into the tank and provided ceiving bell disposed with its mouth above the air escape passage of the liquid conduit.

10. In a device of the class described, the combinationwith a liqud containing tank, of liquid and pressure tubes extending into said tank to adjacent the bottom thereof, said .liquid tube having an air-entrainment portin the side of the same above the level of liquid within the tank and in direct communi- I cation with the air space beneath the top of the tank whereby air is aspirated into said tube by the iow of liquid through the tube and then entrained in such flowing liquid, said liquid tube having at the lower end ot the same an exit for liquid carrying the entrained air, the ressure tube having an air receiving inlet a ove said air exit to receive a r entrained in the liquid tube and released with the liquid from the lower end of the same and a pressure gauge in communication with said pressure tube.

A11. In a device ot' the class described, a liquid containing tank, a liquid conduit extending into said tank to a point adj accnt the bottom of the same and having an air entrainment opening therein above the liquid level in the tank whereby air is Vas irated and entrained in the liquid iiowing t rough saidrconduit and provided at its lower end with an outlet for discharging into the tank the liquid carrying the entrained air, a suction device connected with said liquid conduit for intermittently withdrawing liquid therethrough, aportion of the withdrawn liquid, when the suction is released, fiowing by gravity back into the tank, a pressure conduit entered in the tank to a point adjacent the bottonrof the same and having an air inlet disposed abovqY the air outlet of the liquid conduit to thereby receive entrained air released from the liquid conduit during the return iiow periods of the suction device and a pressure gauge connected with said pressure conduit.

12. In a device of the class described, a liquid containing tank, a liquid conduit entered in said tank to a point adjacent the bottom thereof and having a restricted air intake in one side of the same above the liquid level of the tank wherebyv air is aspirated and entrained in the liquid flowing t rough the conduit, said conduit being provided at,

its lower end with an outlet for liquid carrying the entrained air, means for creating flow of liquid through the conduit in one direction and permitting return of liquid by gravity in the reverse direction so that upon return'fiow of vliquid through the conduit `aix; entrained therein will be released from the lower end thereof, 'a pressure conduit having an air inlet disposed above the air outlet of the liquid conduit and a pressure gau e in communicatlon with the pressure con uit.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a cap adapted to be applied to a tank opening and having elbows to receivev'a liquid line and a pressure line respectively, a' conduit de- 'endent from said cap in communication *with the liquid line elbow, said conduit having an air intake port in the upper portion of the same and a dischargeor entrained air at its lower end, a pressure conduit dependent from said cap in communication with the pressure elbow and provided at its lower end -With. an air receiving inlet above the enadapted to be applied to a tank opening andq having elbows to receive a liquid line and a pressure line respectively, a conduit dependent from said cap in communication with the liquid line elbow, said conduit having an air intake port in the upper portion of the same and a discharge for liquid and entrained air at its lower end, a pressure conduit dependent from said cap in communication with'thie pressure elbow and provided at its lower endl'llwith an air receiving inlet above the en'rai ed air discharge of the liquidconduitfl ndl means forming upwardly convergent constrictons inithc pressure conduit above the air inlet therein.

15. As a. new article of manufacture, a cap for application to a tank opening, said cap being provided with elbows on thezupper face ot' the same for connection with liquid and pressure lines respectively, liquid and pressure conduits dependent from the cap and in col'nniunication with the liquid and pressure elbows respectively, the liquid conduit having means for entraining air therein by fiow otv liquid therethrough and having an air discharge positioned relative to the pressure conduit so that entrained air discharged from the liquid conduit enters the pressure conduit, there being upwardly convergent restrictions in the pressure conduit abete the lower end of the same.

1G; In a device of the class described, a liquid containing tank, liquid carrying and pressure conduits entered in said tank and attending to near the bottom thereof, said liquid carrying conduit having means whereby air is aspirated into the conduit by renee nected with the liquid conduit, a pressure gau ,l in communication with the pressure con uit, the pressurey conduit beingopen at its leiter end to the pressure of liquid fwitlxin the tink and provided above such opening with upwardly convergent restrictions for" breakingup air bubbles and preventing a' rushof liquidupwardl through. said conduit, the liquid conduit aving an outlet for entrained an' and the lower end of the" pressure conduit being positioned to receive into it the entrained air thus discharged vfrom the liquid conduit. "1.

1T. In combination.7 a liquid containing tank, liquid and pressure conduits extendu ing separately into'the tank, the liquid conduit having an air entrainment port in the side of the saine above the level of liquid Within the tank whereby air is aspirated .and

f `entrained in the liquid flowing through the conduit, said conduit having its lower end.

rejecting laterally into position beneath the Iower end of the pressure conduit and provided 'at such point .with an' upwardly directed vair.discharge port for directing entrained air int the pressure conduit, rthe lateral projection of s aid liquid conduit liavinguv liquid inlet in addition to said air discharge port opening downwardly tothe loottom of the tank and a pressure gauge con' nected with the pressure conduit.

18. In a device of the class described, a' liquid containing tank, liquid carrying and pressure conduits entered in said tank and extending to near the bottom thereof, lthe liquid conduit having means therein whereby* air is aspirated into said conduit bythe iow of liquid through theconduitl and thenentrained in suchovingliquid, a pressure gauge connected'with said pressure conduit, the liquid conduit, havingan outlet for liquid carrying entrained air and the pressure conduit having an inlet positioned to receive entrained'air discharged from the liquid conduit and curvilinear confining walls `:forming restrictions in said pressure conduit' ,for successively7 restricting flow of liquid upwardly through thel pressure conduit to prevent liquid reaching remote-portions of thel pressure conduit.

19. As a new articlevof manufacture, n cap ada ted for ap lication to a tank opening an having tulbular extensions on to of the saine for connection with a. liquid line and a. pressure line respectively, a liquid withdrawal conduit dependent from the cap and connected with. the liquid line extension on top of the cap, said conduit havin means therein opening near the upperl en ofthe conduit in position to take in air beneath the capand said conduit having an opening at its lower end to discharge liquid .with entrained air, .a pressure ,conduit dependent from the cap and connected with the' pressure line extension, said pressure conduit being provided at its lower. end with au air "i u'.

receiving bell open to anddisposed above the entrained air discharge opening of the 

